Can resonators be removed from all tenor banjos?

I am thinking of getting a tenor banjo in the next few months. I will be playing in a small group, not sessions, so I would prefer an open back TB. Plus, have guitar and mandolin so need it to be lighter to carry to and from the car.
I know if I do start playing in sessions a resonator would be good to have. So simple question: is it possible to remove resonators from all banjos? I don’t want to pass over potentially good instruments for something I could work around.

For my Clareen … no. For my Orpheum … easily, but I have seen open back Clareens and the resonator was an addition to the Orpheum. I suspect it’s not hard to find removable resonators.

On my Ozark tenor, the aluminium drum casting has protruberences that are quite sharp and painful to the knee when I tried it without the resonator.
I wanted to put a little mic in the inside with it sounding like it was underwater!
My answer was to cut the back off (actually, a hot knife melted the glue and there were a few panel pins holding it). This left the wooden ring protecting my knee and I fitted a rim so you could push the back on if you wanted to use the resonator.

You unscrew two thumbscrews to remove the resonator from my Sully. You are left with metal plates that fill the gaps between the head tightening screws, but those could easily be removed if you wanted to make the instrument setup primarily for use without the resonator. I had it that way for many years.

My Clareen Celt resonator comes off easily enough but you’re left with a metal rim with a nearly knife-edge that’s quite uncomfortable if it’s sitting in you’re lap. A bit of experimentation with a wood binding or padding might make the resonator removal viable. At twelve pounds plus, I just consider the Clareen a useful anchor in case of localized gravity outages.

If you get a decent open back TB, then its more than loud enough in sessions, without the resonator 🙂

You can always remove a resonator but if the banjo has a flange for mounting it, it may be a pain to hold. My experience is that most 17 fret tenors did not have resonators (Bacon Style C is the notable exception). If you’re interested in a more compact instrument, that may be your best bet. You should also try different picks - that can make a difference in how it sounds - you can join the “pocket full of picks” club, and have at least one for every occasion.

The resonator on my 1924 Vega banjo screws on and off - the switch is very easy. Vintage Vega 17 fret tenors, especially with a tubaphone tone ring, are quite nice for ITM. Whether I have the resonator on or not, the banjo is still comfortable to hold.

Thanks everyone!! Very helpful. A whole new world of fun!
Fred, already dancing between plecks/picks and its only getting worse.

Maybe the best way to go would be a Weymann banjo. They are nice banjos, and most of them have the “press on” resonator that is just held on with tension from some felt-covered spring clips on the resonator. And when you remove the resonator, the brackets run through the edge of the rim, so it’s a smooth wood rim that is comfortable either way… https://reverb.com/item/41101605-weymann-1500-tenor-banjo

Some banjo makers offer pop-on resonators that attach or detach in an instant. The advantage of this is that when the resonator is removed you’re not left with a metal flange, which can be very uncomfortable, especially if you’re playing sitting down; the flange will cut into your thighs.

Check out Deering Banjos regarding this. Their pop-on system works flawlessly. They make both 17 and 19 fret tenor banjos. If you specify that you want a pop-on resonator I’m sure they will be happy to accommodate you.